ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. march — the month
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. cue — a hint
  17. march — the month
  18. bear — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. march — music
  21. can — a tin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com